Loading ramp device which rolls up for storage

ABSTRACT

A loading ramp structure is provided which is constructed out of a plurality of relatively small and rectangular links that are joined end to end to form a span of any desired length. Moreover, the manner in which these links are joined together allows the span to be rolled up for storage when it is not in use and to be easily unrolled to form a ridged span when it is to be employed in the loading or unloading of wheeled load materials such as small supplementary vehicles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of loading ramps and,more specifically, to loading ramps and the like which may be rolled upfor convenient storage and transport.

[0002] Loading ramps of many types have been known and are commonly usedto unload pick-up trucks, delivery trucks and the like. Further, theseramps may be used to allow wheeled vehicles to traverse short sets ofsteps. As these ramps are often used with mobile vehicles, it isdesirable that the ramps be highly portable and storable. As such,several varieties of folding ramps are known. Typically, these ramps mayfold in a rectangular or square fashion and pile on top of each other.As these ramps may be used to unload very heavy loads, considerablestrength may be necessary when designing and using these ramps. Thestrength necessary along with the desirability of making a ramp easilyportable has created a problem in that ramps which are easily portablemay often be light and lack the requisite strength needed, whereas rampsof a sufficient amount of strength to move heavier loads may be largeand bulky.

[0003] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide aramp which may be rolled for easy and convenient storage which is bothlight and easy to use while still having the requisite strength neededfor a given job. Further, it is desirable that this ramp be easy to useand contain other features lending to the utility of the presentinvention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] It is the primary objective of the present invention to provide amethod by which utility vehicles, such as garden tractors andrecreational vehicles, can be easily loaded into the back load carryingportion of larger vehicles such as pickup trucks.

[0005] It is an additional objective of the present invention to providesuch a loading device that can be rolled up for easy and compact storagewhen the device is not in use.

[0006] It is a further objective of the present invention to providesuch a loading device that, when in its unrolled and deployedorientation, is strong enough to easily support the weight of thevehicles that are typically loaded and transported in this manner.

[0007] It is a still further objective of the present invention toprovide such a loading device that is relatively simple and inexpensivein its design and construction which allows it to be used by averagepeople without the need for specialized tools or knowledge.

[0008] These objectives are accomplished by the use of a series ofinterlocking rectangular metallic or non-metallic links that arepivotally attached to one another at both of their shorter sides.

[0009] By attaching enough of these links together in this fashion, abridge-like structure is created that can be used to span the gapbetween the surface upon which a supplemental vehicle rests and the loadbed of a transporting vehicle such as a pickup truck. This loadingprocess is accomplished by placing one or more of these structures,depending upon the number and orientation of the wheels on thesupplemental vehicle, between the vehicle bed and ground or surface uponwhich the supplemental vehicle rests, and then driving or pushing thesupplemental vehicle up the ramp and into the transport vehicle. Theunloading of the supplemental vehicle is accomplished simply byreversing this process.

[0010] Once the loading or unloading is accomplished, the design of thepresent invention allows it to be rolled up into a compact cylindricalform that can be easily stored in a relatively small area or volume. Theindividual links of the present invention are specifically designed in amanner that allows for this rolling and unrolling process and alsoallows the ramp to be extended out and employed to span relatively largedistances and support a great deal of weight without the use ofadditional support structures. These attributes of the invention areaccomplished by the manner of construction of the surfaces of theindividual links where they are joined to one another and by the methodused to make the connections of the links.

[0011] Each individual link has on its forward facing surface anextending tongue-like feature which has a hemispherically shaped leadingedge and which corresponds in shape, size, and location to a tonguereceptor slot located on the rearward surface of each link. The tonguealso contains a cylindrical hole that passes laterally through it justbehind the hemispherically shaped leading edge and which corresponds inlocation to two identical holes that pass from the link surfaces oneither side of the inner walls of the tongue receptor slot to thecorresponding outer walls of the link itself. Therefore, when the tongueof one link is fitted into the tongue receptor of another, there iscreated a cylindrical hole that passes completely through thesecomponents of two individual links. The connection of the two links iscompleted by passing a pressure fitted pin through this hole. Thisdesign, along with the hemispherically shaped leading edge of thetongue, allows each of the individual links to pivot in relation to oneanother around the axis that is formed by the insertion of the pin. Thispivoting motion is the aspect of the present invention which allows itto be rolled up for storage purposes.

[0012] The individual links of the invention are also designed toprovide the pivoting motion at the proper point so as to form abridge-like span which is central to its purpose. This is accomplishedby the design of the forward and reward edges of the links that make upthe span. The forward edge of the link (that containing the connectiontongue) is formed so that it is oriented at right angles to the othersurfaces of the link. The major importance of the design of the forwardsurface is the manner in which it interacts with the rearward surface ofthe adjacent link in the span of the invention. It is this interactionof these two surfaces which provides both the pivoting and load bearingfunctions of the invention. Additionally, the relationship between thelocation of the pivot point (at the lower surface of the links) andthese contact surfaces (at the upper surface of the links) focuses theload carried by the invention on to these areas.

[0013] The rearward surface of each individual link (that containing thetongue receptor slot) is fashioned in a manner so that the lower edge ofthat surface is rounded towards the center of the link. This roundededge works in conjunction with the pin and allows the individual linksto pivot downward in relation to the axis of the pin when the inventionis rolled up for storage. Additionally, the upper portion of therearward surface of each link is flat and is formed with a slightinwardly oriented angle (in relation to the upper surface of the links)which interacts with the flat surface of the forward surface of the linklocated directly behind it. This slight angle is important to thefunction of the invention as it imparts a slight arch to the bridge spanwhen it is extended for loading and unloading purposes. This archincreases the horizontal strength of the arch and allows the inventionto be used in conjunction with heavier loads.

[0014] The individual links may also be designed with an upper surfacewhich has a knurled pattern machined into it. This design provides aloading ramp with a greater degree of surface area on its upper surfacewhich in turn provides a greater degree of traction to the wheels ofvehicles that are passing over it during loading and unloadingoperations. Additionally, an optional anti-skid cleat is also availablefor use with the present invention which can provide an additionalmeasure of traction. The anti-skid cleat is a protrusion of the uppersurface of the link which is formed in the shape of a right trianglewith its short perpendicular surface being oriented forward in relationto the link. This orientation of the cleat creates a very sharp pointwhich provides a great deal of traction to any wheel of any vehiclepassing over the present invention.

[0015] A still further alternative version of the present invention usesI-beam construction in order to greatly reduce the weight of the linkswhile still maintaining the strength. This construction uses a diagonaloff set of inter-connected I-beams in order to facilitate the lighterconstruction and to more evenly distribute heavy loads during theloading and unloading of a vehicle while using the present device.

[0016] Finally, it is contemplated that the present invention may alsobe used to form a rolling ladder that uses most of the current featuresas discussed above, however uses links with hollow inner sections so asto form rungs or portions of a ladder when unrolled.

[0017] For a better understanding of the present invention referenceshould be made to the drawings and the description in which there areillustrated and described preferred embodiments of the presentinvention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the initial present inventionillustrating the manner in which it is employed in conjunction with apickup truck.

[0019]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the ramp link component of theinitial present invention concept detailing its manner of constructionand the orientation of its major components.

[0020]FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the initial present inventionshowing it in its rolled configuration which is employed for storagepurposes when the invention is not in use.

[0021]FIG. 4 is a top elevation view of two of the ramp links of theinitial present invention detailing the manner in which the separatelinks are connected to one another to form the body of the invention.

[0022]FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of two of the ramp links of theinitial present invention detailing the manner in which the separatelinks are connected to one another to form the body of the invention.

[0023]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an individual ramp link of theinitial present invention in which an optional anti-skid cleat inemployed.

[0024]FIG. 7 is a side elevation view of an individual ramp link of theinitial present invention in which an optional anti-skid cleat inemployed.

[0025]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an individual ramp link of theinitial present invention in which an alternative embodiment of theanti-skid cleat as shown in FIG. 6 is illustrated.

[0026]FIG. 9 is a top elevation view of the skid cleat in FIG. 8 andillustrates its major components and their manner of construction.

[0027]FIG. 10 is a side elevation view of the skid cleat in FIG. 8 andillustrates its major components and their manner of construction.

[0028]FIG. 11 is a side elevation view of an alternative embodiment ofthe initial present invention which employs stabilizing cable to addadditional vertical strength to the body of the invention.

[0029]FIG. 12 is a side elevation view of two of the ramp links of theembodiment of the initial present invention that is illustrated in FIG.11 and details the manner in which the cable is attached to the links.

[0030]FIG. 13 is a top elevation view of two of the ramp links of theembodiment of the initial present invention that is illustrated in FIG.11 and details the manner in which the cable is attached to the links.

[0031]FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of thepresent invention which employs a plurality of ramp link tongues andtongue receptors to make the connection between individual links of theramp span.

[0032]FIG. 15 is a front elevation view of the alternative embodiment ofthe present invention of FIG. 14 and illustrates the orientation ofindividual links major components in relation to one another.

[0033]FIG. 16 is a side elevation view of the alternative embodiment ofthe present invention of FIG. 14 and illustrates the orientation ofindividual links major components in relation to one another.

[0034]FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a still further alternativeembodiment of the present invention in which the individual ramp linksare built with an multiple I-beam type construction and which alsoconstructed in the lightest possible manner by the removal of materialfrom the non-stressed portions of the I-beams.

[0035]FIG. 18 is a top elevation view of this alternative embodimentillustrating the plurality of upper surface slots that are employed inthe construction of the ramp link which help to reduce its overallweight.

[0036]FIG. 19 is a bottom elevation view of this embodiment of thepresent invention illustrating the manner in which the individualI-beams are constructed to form the interlocking structure of thisembodiment of the ramp link.

[0037]FIG. 20 is a side elevation view of this embodiment of the presentinvention illustrating the perforated manner of construction of theindividual I-beams which helps to reduce the overall weight of theinvention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT:

[0038] Referring now to the drawings, and more specifically to FIGS. 1and 2, the roll up loading ramp 10 consists primarily of a single ormultiple ramp spans 12 which are themselves made up of a plurality ofinterlocking rectangular metallic ramp links 14. These ramp links 14 arepivotally attached to one another at both of their front and rearshorter sides by the use of the tongue 32, tongue receptor groove 34,and pin 36. By attaching a prescribed number of these ramp links 14together by the use of these three components, a bridge-like structureis created that can be used to span the gap between the surface uponwhich a supplemental vehicle rests and the box floor 22 of a pickuptruck 20 or other transporting vehicle.

[0039] The loading process by use of the present invention isaccomplished by placing one or more of these ramp span 12 structures,depending upon the number and orientation of the wheels on thesupplemental vehicle, between the truck box floor 22 and ground and thendriving or pushing the supplemental vehicle up the ramp 12 and into thetransport vehicle 20. The attachment of the ramp spans 12 to the pickup20 may be accomplished by the use of an upper magnetic clamp 16 whichbonds to the metallic surface of the tail gate 24 of the truck 20 by themeans of its inherent magnetism. The upper magnetic clamp 16 is atriangularly shaped link with its pointed end oriented in a forwardmanner in relation to the other ramp links 14 and which is attached tothe upper most link 14 in the ramp span 12 in the same manner as theramp links 14. Additionally, the lower end of the ramp span 12 isequipped with a lower ramp foot 18 which is also triangularly shaped andwhich functions to smooth the transition of the supplemental vehiclefrom the ground to the ramp span 12, and vise versa, during the loadingor unloading process.

[0040] Once the loading or unloading processes is accomplished, thedesign of the present invention allows it to be rolled up into a compactform that can be easily stored in a relatively small area which isclearly illustrated in FIG. 3. This FIG. illustrates the manner in whichthe individual ramp links 14 of the ramp span 12 are rolled around thelower ramp foot 18 in a spiral fashion which terminates at the uppermagnetic clamp 16. This spiral roll forms a relatively compact structurewhich can be stored on the box floor 22 in the position and orientationwhich interferes the least with the operator's desired use of the restof the box floor 22 space.

[0041] The individual ramp links 14 of the present invention arespecifically designed in a manner that facilitates this storage abilityand these features are further detailed in FIG. 2. Each individual link14 has on its front contact surface 40 a forward extending tongue 32which has a hemispherically shaped leading edge 33 and which correspondsin shape, size, and location to the tongue receptor slot 34 located onthe rear contact surface 41 of each link 14. The tongue 32 also containsa cylindrical tongue pin hole 30 hole that passes laterally through itjust behind the hemispherically shaped leading edge 33 and whichcorresponds in location to two identical link pin holes 28 that passfrom the link 14 surfaces on either side of the inner walls of thetongue receptor slot 34 to the corresponding outer walls of the link 14itself. Therefore, when the tongue 32 of one link 14 is fitted into thetongue receptor 34 of another, there is created a cylindrical pin holethat passes completely through these components of two individual links14. The connection of the two links 14 is completed by passing apressure fitted pin 36 through this hole. This design, along with thehemispherically shaped leading edge 33 of the tongue 32, allows each ofthe individual links 14 to pivot in relation to one another around theaxis that is formed by the insertion of the pin 36. This pivoting motionis the aspect of the present invention which allows it to be rolled upfor storage purposes and also to be unrolled for loading purposes.

[0042] Additionally, the positioning of the link pin hole 28 in relationto the skid resistant link surface 26 and the link contact edge 38 isimportant to the operation of the present invention. This relationshipcreates a contact distance (the distance between the center of the linkpin hole 28 and the skid resistant link surface 26) on the link contactedge 38 and the rear contact surface 42 which is the portion of thesetwo components that come together when the ramp spans 12 are extendedfor use. The important aspect of the contact distance is that theoverall strength of the ramp span 12 is dependant upon this point ofcontact. Therefore, a greater the contact distance used on theindividual ramp links 14 will produce a ramp span 12 of comparativelygreater strength.

[0043] The individual links 14 of the present invention are alsodesigned to stop the pivoting motion of the links 14 in relation to oneanother at the proper point as to form the bridge-like span which iscentral to the purpose of the invention. This is accomplished by thedesign of the front and rear contact surfaces, 40 and 41, of the ramplinks 14 that make up the ramp span 12. The front contact surface 40 ofthe ramp link 14 (that containing the connection tongue) is formed sothat it is oriented at right angles to the other surfaces of the link14. The major importance of this design of the front contact surface 40is the manner in which it interacts with the rear contact surface 41 ofthe adjacent link 14 in the ramp span 12 of the invention. It is theinteraction of the front and rear contact surfaces, 40 and 41, of theindividual ramp links 14 which provides both the pivoting and loadbearing functions of the ramp span 12 of the present invention.

[0044] The rear contact surface 42 of each individual link 14 (thatcontaining the tongue receptor slot 34 and which is illustrated in FIGS.4 and 5) is fashioned in a manner so that the lower edge of that surfaceis rounded towards the center of the link 14. This rounded edge, or linkcambered surface 42, works in conjunction with the pin 36 and allows theindividual links 14 to pivot downward in relation to the axis of the pin14 when the invention is rolled up for storage. Additionally, the upperportion of the rear contact surface 41 of each link 14, or the linkcontact edge 38, is flat and is formed with a slight inwardly orientedangle (in relation to the upper surface of the links 14) which interactswith the flat front contact surface 40 of the ramp link 14 locateddirectly behind it. This slight angle is important to the function ofthe invention as it imparts a slight arch to the bridge span when it isextended for loading and unloading purposes. This arch increases thehorizontal strength of the ramp span 12 and allows the invention to beused in conjunction with relatively heavy loads.

[0045] The individual links 14 are also designed with a skid resistantupper surface 26 which has a knurled pattern machined into it. Thisknurled skid resistant upper surface 26 provides a loading ramp span 12with a greater degree of surface edges on its upper surface which inturn provides a greater degree of traction to the wheels of vehiclesthat are passing over it during loading and unloading operations. Thisdesign imparts a greater degree of safety to this manner of loading andunloading supplemental vehicles which is especially advantageous tousers with lesser amounts of knowledge and experience with these typesof operations.

[0046] Additionally, an optional anti-skid cleat 44 is illustrated inFIGS. 6 and 7. This optional anti-skid cleat 44 is available for usewith the present invention which and provides an additional measure oftraction in furtherance to that which is provided by the skid resistantlink surface 26. The anti-skid cleat 44 is a protrusion of the uppersurface of the ramp link 14 which is formed in the shape of a righttriangle with its short perpendicular surface 46 being oriented forwardin relation to the body of the ramp link 14. This orientation of theanti-skid cleat 44 creates a very sharp cleat peak 48 that extendscompletely across the upper surface of the ramp link 14 and creates asharp edge which in itself provides a great deal of traction to anywheel of any vehicle passing over the ramp span 12 present invention.

[0047] An alternative embodiment of this anti-skid cleat 44 isillustrated in FIGS. 8, 9, and 10, in which the cleat is designed andconstructed in a manner that allows it to pivot in relation to the uppersurface of the ramp link 14. This pivoting anti-skid cleat 50 is made upof a central cleat body 54 that is very similar to the design andfunction of the standard anti-skid cleat 44. However, it differs in thatit is not permanently attached to the upper surface of the ramp link 14but is instead thereby affixed to by the use of a pair of parallel pivotarms 52 that extend perpendicularly from each end of the cleat body 54in a forward manner in relation to the ramp link 14 and are which eachpivotally attached at their most forwards ends to the side of the ramplink 14. This design allows the cleat body 54 to move up and down (inrelation to the upper surface of the ramp link 14) within the pivotalarch that is created by this method of cleat attachment. The pivotingability of the anti-skid cleat 50 works in conjunction with the springgroove 58 and leaf spring 56 to allow the cleat body 54 to change itsorientation as a object passes over it. This provides an additionalgripping surface to the upper surface of the ramp span 12 that canadjust to the weight of the object passing over it which imparts themaximum amount of traction to the wheel of the vehicle that is using thepresent invention.

[0048] The pivoting anti-skid cleat 50 is constructed so that the cleatbody 54 rests upon the upper surface of the leaf spring 56 which is inturn held within the spring groove 58 on either end by the use of thetwo retainer screws 60. The leaf spring 56 bows upward, in relation tothe bottom of the spring groove, from either end to form an invertedU-shape which has the capability to flex in a downward fashion whenpressure is placed on its center portion by the cleat body 54.Additionally, the spring groove 58 is constructed in a manner so that itis slightly wider than the base of the cleat body 54 which allows thecleat body 54 to be pushed down below the level of the upper surface ofthe ramp link 14. This design allows this embodiment of the presentinvention to operate most effectively by adjusting to the weight of thevehicles that are passing over it.

[0049] An additional embodiment of the present invention is illustratedin FIGS. 11, 12, and 13. In this embodiment of the invention, ahorizontal stabilizing cable 62 is added to the ramp span 12 whichserves to strengthen the ramp span 12 and allow its use with heavierloads than is recommended with the standard invention. The horizontalstabilizing cable 62 functions by being attached to the outer two ramplinks 14 on either end of the ramp span 12 and which is then tightenedto place an upward force on the length of the ramp span 12. Thisattachment is accomplished by the stabilizing cable 62 being fixed tothe final ramp link 14 on either end of the ramp span 12 by the use ofthe cable retainer 66 from which the stabilizing cable 62 passes over acable guide 68 located on the second ramp link 14 from either end of thespan 12.

[0050] The tensioning function of the horizontal stabilizing cable 62 isfacilitated by the use of the cable turnbuckle 64 located near thecenter of the stabilizing cable and, by means of its threaded connectionto the cable 62, can be rotated to shorten or lengthen the distancebetween each point of attachment to the ramp span 12. The upward tensionplaced on the ramp span 12 serves to further resist downward forceplaced on the ramp span by a vehicle. This effectively strengthens thepresent invention which allows for its use with a wider variety ofsupplemental vehicles.

[0051] A still further alternative embodiment of the ramp link 12components of the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 14, 15, and16. These FIGS. illustrate the manner of construction of the multipletongue ramp link 70. The multiple tongue ramp link 70 differs from thestandard ramp link 14 as previously described in that the manner used toconnect the individual multiple tongue ramp links 70 together to form aramp span 12. This connection is made by the use of a plurality ofinterlocking tongues 72 located on one side of the ramp link 70 whichmatch in both relative location and shape to the plurality ofinterlocking tongue receptor slots 74 located on the opposite side ofthe ramp link 70. In the link 70 connection process, the interlockingtongues 72 of on link 70 are placed into the tongue receptor slots ofanother and then a pin 36 is passed through the corresponding tongue andlink pin holes, 28 and 30, to hold the individual links 70 together inmuch the same manner as described previously for the original ramp links14. The plurality of the interlocking tongues 72 also operate to evenlydistribute the working loads placed upon the present invention duringloading and unloading operations.

[0052] Additionally, the individual multiple tongue ramp links 70 worktogether to form the desired slight upward arch of the ramp span 12 thatgives the ramp span an added degree of strength and that was previouslydescribed in the description of FIGS. 4 and 5. This arching effect isobtained by the manner in which the cambered surface 42 of theinterlocking tongues 72 creates a slight angle in relation to the linksurface 26 when in contact with the contact edge 38 of the tonguereceptor slots 74 of the adjacent link 70. Also, this embodiment of theemploys a longer contact distance to provide additional strength. Thus,this alternative embodiment of the present invention operates in thesame manner as the original but by means of its plurality ofinterlocking tongues 72 and longer contact distance provides a strongerramp span 12.

[0053] A still further embodiment of the present invention isillustrated in FIGS. 17, 18, 19, and 20, which shows the manner ofconstruction of the lightweight I-beam ramp link 76. The light weightI-beam ramp link 76 is made up of a plurality of interconnected I-beams82 which are diagonally offset in relation to one another and inrelation to the front and rear ends of the lightweight I-beam ramp link76. The diagonal offset of the interconnected I-beams helps tofacilitate the lighter construction methods employed with the presentinvention and also to distribute heavy loads better during loading andunloading operations.

[0054] One side of the dual sided terminal ends of the individualI-beams 82 at both the front and rear ends of the present invention ispaired with the corresponding side of the terminal end of theneighboring I-beam 82 to form an I-beam connective pair 84. The I-beamconnective pair 84 corresponds in width to the inter I-beam connectiveslots 86 located between the plurality of the I-beam connective pairs84. Additionally, the terminal ends of the outer I-beams 82 at the rearof the lightweight I-beam ramp link 76 are unpaired and thus form anI-beam connective single 94 which close off the outer most inter I-beamconnective slots 86 and also form the outer edge of the invention.

[0055] The I-beam connective pairs 84 and the I-beam connective singles94 are equipped with hemispherically shaped connective nobs 90 that areequipped with I-beam pin holes 88 located at their centers. Thus, whenconnecting a plurality of lightweight I-beam ramp links 76, the I-beamconnective pairs 84 located in the front contact surface 40 of onelightweight I-beam ramp link 76 are fitted into the inter I-beamconnective slots 86 located in the rear contact surface 41 of anotherand the I-beam pin holes 88 in the connective nobs 90 of all are alignedwith one another. Once this has been accomplished, a connective pin ispassed through the aligned I-beam pin holes 88 to pivotally connect onelightweight I-beam ramp link 76 to another in much the same manner aspreviously described for the other embodiments of the present invention.

[0056] Finally, the lightweight I-beam ramp link 76 is constructed in amanner that reduces its overall weight, in comparison to otherembodiments of equal dimensions, by as much as 30 percent withoutaffecting its weight carrying capacity. This is accomplished by twoprimary means. The first of these is the use of a plurality of uppersurface slots 80 cut into the lightened link surface 78. These surfaceslots 80 run from the front of the lighted link surface 78 to the rearand help to lighten the overall structure without compromising itsstructural integrity or significantly decreasing the amount of grippingsurface provided by the invention.

[0057] The second method of reducing the overall weight of the body ofthe present invention is the use of perforated I-beam frames 92 in theconstruction of the individual I-beams 82. This weight reduction isaccomplished by the removal, or more precisely, the lack ofincorporation, of portions of the vertical part of the “I” of theindividual I-beams 82. This method of construction leaves a latticeframe-like component with solid support members and centrally locatedopen areas. The lattice method of construction provides the necessarystructural rigidity for the proper operation of the invention whilesignificantly reducing its weight.

[0058] Although the present invention has been described in considerabledetail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof, otherversions are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appendedclaims should not be limited to the description of the preferredversions contained herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A loading ramp device comprising: a plurality ofrectangular links each of said links having a top surface, a bottomsurface, a left side surface, a right side surface, a first joiningsurface and a second joining surface; each of said links furtherdefining a tongue supplied on said first joining surface such that saidtongue is closer to said bottom surface of said link than said topsurface of said link, said tongue further defining a pin hole; each ofsaid links further defining a tongue receptor on said second joiningsurface such that said tongue receptor is closer to said bottom surfaceof said link than said top surface of said link said tongue receptorbeing directly across said link from said tongue; a pin for holding saidtongue of a first link into a tongue receptor so that said links canmove between a first extended position and a second coiled position;said first extended position is defined by said first joining surface ofa link being in contact with said second joining surface of a secondlink such that when said links are in a first extended position saidlinks form an elongate ramp with a first and second end that canwithstand a load placed upon said top surface; and said second coiledposition is defined by rotating a first link toward a second link suchthat said bottom surface of said first link moves toward the bottomsurface of said second link such that said plurality of rectangularlinks may be placed in substantially circular storage coil.
 2. A loadingramp device as in claim 1 further comprising a first and second rampfoot said ramp feet being substantially wedge shaped such that when saidfirst and second ramp feet are attached to said first and second ends ofsaid elongate ramp they form a first and second tapered end to saidelongate ramp.
 3. A loading ramp device as in claim 2 wherein said firstjoining surface and second joining surface of said links is formed suchthat when said surfaces are in contact to form said elongate ramp thetop surface of said links form the top surface of said elongate ramp andthe top surface of said elongate ramp forms a slight upward arch.
 4. Aloading ramp device as in claim 3 wherein said top surface of said linksdefine a contoured gripping surface.
 5. A loading ramp device as inclaim 4 further comprising a support cable attached to a right sidesurface of a first link and extending to a right side surface of asecond link so as to support said elongate ramp when in said extendedposition.
 6. A loading ramp device as in claim 2 wherein said topsurface of said links further defines a plurality of slots.
 7. A loadingramp device as in claim 6 wherein said links are comprised of a seriesof I-beam sections.
 8. A loading ramp device as in claim 7 wherein saidI-beams cross said links in a diagonal fashion from the first joiningsurface to the second joining surface.
 9. A roll-up elongate loadingramp comprising: a plurality of rectangular links each of said linkshaving a top surface, a bottom surface, a left side surface, a rightside surface, a first joining surface and a second joining surface saidlinks defining an inner volume that is substantially void; each of saidlinks further defining a nob section supplied on said first joiningsurface such that said nob section is closer to said bottom surface ofsaid link than said top surface of said link, said nob section furtherdefining a pin hole; each of said links further defining a nob sectionreceptor on said second joining surface such that said nob sectionreceptor is closer to said bottom surface of said link than said topsurface of said link said tongue receptor being directly across saidlink from said tongue; a pin for holding said nob section of a firstlink into a nob section receptor so that said links can move between afirst extended position and a second coiled position; said firstextended position is defined by said first joining surface of a linkbeing in contact with said second joining surface of a second link suchthat when said links are in a first extended position said links form anelongate loading ramp with a first and second end that can withstand aload placed upon said top surface; and said second coiled position isdefined by rotating a first link toward a second link such that saidbottom surface of said first link moves toward the bottom surface ofsaid second link such that said plurality of rectangular links may beplaced in substantially circular storage coil.
 10. A roll-up elongateloading ramp as in claim 9 further comprising a first and second rampfoot said ramp feet being substantially wedge shaped such that when saidfirst and second ramp feet are attached to said first and second ends ofsaid elongate loading ramp they form a first and second tapered end tosaid elongate ramp.
 11. A roll-up elongate loading ramp as in claim 10wherein said top surface of said links further defines a plurality ofslots.
 12. A roll-up elongate loading ramp as in claim 11 wherein saidlinks are comprised of a series of I-beam sections.
 13. A roll-upelongate loading ramp as in claim 12 wherein said I-beams cross saidlinks in a diagonal fashion from the first joining surface to the secondjoining surface within said inner volume.
 14. A roll-up elongate loadingramp as in claim 13 wherein said first joining surface and secondjoining surface of said links is formed such that when said surfaces arein contact to form said elongate loading ramp the top surface of saidlinks form the top surface of said elongate loading ramp and the topsurface of said elongate loading ramp forms a slight upward arch.
 15. Aroll-up elongate loading ramp as in claim 14 wherein said top surface ofsaid links further defines a contoured gripping surface.